The Change
by toriblake95
Summary: Arnold has finally had it with Helga, and tells her to finally leave him alone… Feeling bad, Helga mopes… What happens when Phoebe gives Helga a new look, that actually brings out the truth?
1. Blow Outs

Arnold took a deep breath, trying to quell the anger burning inside himself. Usually, he could handle it, brush it off, be annoyed, and get over it. But it was old, and she always got away with it. How did she do it? "_You allow her to her to."_ But WHY does she torment ME? … It just didn't make sense. And he was over it. Suddenly, Arnold was fed up, and something inside him snapped.

Arnold approached Helga with an annoyed look on his face.

"What's wrong football head? Can't take a joke? Haha what a moron!"

"That's It Helga! I'm done! I'm done with this and done with you. I always thought you were a nice person, and were a good person under that mean bulling you did as kids, but I'M OVER IT! Leave Me Alone. Don't Talk To Me. I Don't Ever Want You To Even Contact Me, And We Are NOT Friends… Not Anymore." And with that, Arnold walked off.

Helga stood their looking cool and un-phased, but inside she was hurting deeply. "Sheesh, whats his problem? It was just a joke…"

Phoebe popped up beside Helga with her baseball mitt and sat quietly on the grass in Gerald Field, having witnessed and analyzed the whole scene played out in-front of their classmates and old friends, who had left.

"Helga, if I may inquire, I believe Arnold is tired of how you treat him."

"I can't help it Pheebs. It's just how I am."

"I understand Helga, but Arnold and nobody in our class doesn't. And if Arnold can't stand you, then neither can they."

"Who cares about their opinions. I don't need them anyways." Helga stood up and began walking to Phoebes house for their sleepover, and Phoebe followed suit, casually walking down the street.

"I know Helga, but- nobody knows why you treat Arnold so badly. Honestly Helga, sometimes I think you honestly do hate him. I know that's not the case, but, don't you have at least any kindness or friendliness towards him? We've been friends with the gang for 10 years now Helga, we are 13 years old, almost 14, and I'm honestly starting to believe that you just might have it out to torment Arnold…"

"I don't have it out for Arnold, Phoebe, he is just an easy target it all." Helga shifted uncomfortably, realizing how badly she screwed up. She had been tormenting him all week, and every day it seemed to get worse and worse. Arnold always forgave her, and let it go- but he had never once snapped at her… he sounded serious too, which made Helga deeply regret her last prank on him. Helga begrudgingly walked up the stairs into her best friends bedroom, and Phoebe followed close behind and locked the door.

"Helga, I know Arnold is an easy target for pranks, but that can't be why you single him out all the time, Helga. Tell me the truth, Helga. Why do you pick on Arnold?"

"I told you Phoebe, he is-"

"Helga, I'm not buying into that bullshit anymore. Tell me the truth."

Helga stood mouth gaping at what Phoebe just said… "Did you just cuss? OUT LOUD?"

"Yes. Now tell me the truth Helga. I'm your best friend. I've been by your side since we were 3, and I've never told anybody about any of the secrets you've shared with me. You can trust me Helga. Just tell me why you pick on Arnold so much?" Phoebe sat on her bed, waiting for an honest answer.

Helga sat on her air mattress bed uncomfortable with the situation she was being forced into. "Phoebe… its something I'm not ready to tell you, or anybody…"

"Helga, I've been by your side since we were 3, and I've never told anybody about any of the secrets you've shared with me. Heck, I've never even mentioned them back to you, just because I didn't want to upset you with them. Just tell me WHY you pick on Arnold, Helga. It can't be that bad, can it?"

"It is that bad Phoebe. People found out ONCE and I was a laughing stock for it. I don't want to say it."

"Helga, just tell me. I'm not going to tell anybody, I never have. I just want to understand why, so I can help back you up, and possibly even support the dynamic of it, or figure out how to stop you from doing it. I promise not to tell, Helga." Phoebe reached out her pinky finger, and Helga aggressively studied the outstretched pinky, considering all the possibilities of telling Phoebe the truth. Finally Helga shook pinkies with Phoebe and sighed. Phoebe sat eagerly waiting.

"I…ke…nld." Helga

"What, Helga?"

"I…Ke.. Nld…."

"Helga, You're Mumbling."

Helga took a deep breath and kept her eyes closed as she spoke slowly while a blush crept onto her face. "I… Like… Arnold… Shortman…"

Phoebe thought she hadn't heard Helga correctly "Helga, I'm going to ask you to repeat that again. I believe I didn't hear you clearly."

Helga took another deep breath, shut her eyes tightly, and spoke even more slowly than before. "I… Helga G. Pataki… LIKE – LIKE… Arnold P. Shortman…"

Phoebe sat in place analyzing what she had heard. _'HELGA LIKES ARNOLD… But… It doesn't make any sense… she bullies him on a daily basis. She has never once shown an ounce of kindness towards him… well, actually that's not true… Helga did do…. And then there was the time she… and…'_ Slowly it all began to make sense to Phoebe, and the more sense it made, the bigger her smile became. '_Helga likes Arnold…'_

"…Phoebe, please DON'T laugh at me…" Helga nearly whimpered

Phoebe snapped out of her thoughts and noticed Helga on the floor in a ball with her legs curled to her chest, in a ball. Phoebe was surprised to see Helga in such a vulnerable state. She had NEVER seen Helga so… afraid. Phoebe went to sit beside her best friend and comfort her. "Helga, I would never laugh at you. I was smiling because I was thinking about how true it was. I was figuring it out… Honestly, I didn't realize Arnold was _'ice cream'_ but now that I know how you feel about him, I want to know why you treat someone you like so much, so badly?"

Helga sat in silence and let Phoebe figure it out. Suddenly Phoebe jolted to life with realization.

"You never wanted anybody to know! That's why! But Helga! If you're nice to him, and show him the side of you that I see, I'm sure he would find it hard to resist you! You're a lovable person, Helga!"

"No I'm not Phoebe. Im Ugly, Annoying and a Bitch. You know what everybody really thinks about me. Im not going to argue it with them, and if I want my secret safe, im going to have to keep being mean to Arnold."

"Helga, you don't have to do that. You're not an awful person, they just don't know you like I do. If they got to know you the way I do, they would all want to be more like you." Helga analyzed Phoebe's worlds quietly. Phoebe suddenly had an idea "Helga, how much do you trust me?"

"More than anybody I know… Why?" Helga was suddenly nervous from the look on Phoebe's face.

"I think it's time we reinvented you." Phoebe smirked to herself. Helga's eyes grew 3 sizes, and she gulped nervously before being dragged into Phoebe's bathroom.


	2. Dug Outs

Helga bit her lip… She didn't know if she could go out looking like this… it was so… foreign. Suddenly Phoebe appeared beside Helga and patted her on the shoulder for reassurance.

"It's okay, Helga. You're still you, no matter what. We just… reinvented your look." Phoebe smiled _'This will be good for Helga… This will break the cycle she has been stuck in…'_

Helga took a deep breath before opening Phoebe's front door and walking outside and towards Gerald Field with her best friend and their baseball gloves. Helga tried to keep her breath steady, but with each step she found it more difficult to breathe than before. Suddenly Helga turned to run, but Phoebe was stronger than she looked and pinned Helga into the building against the sidewalk.

"Phoebe, LET ME GO! IM NOT DOING THIS!" Helga was struggling to break free, but to no avail.

"HELGA! STOP IT!" Helga froze. Phoebe was never this loud, it was rare she ever yelled, but when she did, it was stronger than any natural storm. "You are beautiful, inside and out, and we only changed you on the outside. You're still the same Helga, but you have the outside look to prove it. I want you to go to Gerald Field, and prove them all wrong. You're Helga Pataki. You don't take crap from anyone! Do you understand me?!"

Helga nodded, afraid of Phoebe for once in her life. Phoebe released her grip on Helga, and the girls continued walking, finally reaching Gerald Field for their Saturday Morning Baseball Game.

Everyone turned to see who arrived and nobody moved when their eyes landed on Helga. Suddenly, Helga was more self-cautious, but didn't show it to anybody on the field, and walked to the catchers mound for her position. Every pair of eyes on the field followed Helga, and she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. She shook her head to remove her down and curly hair out of her face, and tucked some loose strands behind her ears, revealing Helga's clear face, with only mascara and perfectly tweezed eyebrows. Suddenly everyone gasped.

"OH… MY… GOD…" Rhonda Lloyd slowly approached Helga with one arm nearly extended and a gaping mouth. "Helga, is that you?"

"Yes, princess Lloyd. Any other ridiculous questions?"

Suddenly the field jolted to life and everybody ran towards Helga to get a better look at her and talk to her. Phoebe stayed by the half-gated entrance to Gerald field. Gerald and Arnold approached Phoebe with their baseball bat and baseball mitts. Arnold had a yahoo soda and Gerald was chewing on a Bar.

"Hey Phoebe. Glad to see you. And you're not with Helga." Gerald smiled at his crush.

"Hey Phoebe" Arnold greeted casually, and smiling at Gerald's crush. He hoped they would get together soon. It was getting old watching them cluelessly flirt with each other. If beating around the bush was a contest, they won hands down.

"Hey Phoebe, what's all the commotion?" Gerald pointed with his thumb to a crowd by the pitchers mound.

"Go see for yourselves." Phoebe smiled happily. She wanted to se the looks on their faces when they saw Helga.

Arnold and Gerald shrugged before walking over towards the commotion, with Phoebe beside them, an all-knowing smile on her face.

Suddenly the crowd split open allowing Arnold and Gerald to see what- or rather- WHO all the commotion was about. Both boys stood with their mouths wide open, only they didn't see who everyone else saw.

Arnold's face contorted into _'The Look'_ and Gerald noticed it too. "CECILE?!" Gerald shouted. Arnold had been obsessed with this girl since almost 4 years ago on Valentines day. He never got over her, and he knew Arnold held a high torch out for Cecile. Now here she was, right before them, in their very own neighborhood.

Arnold spit out his Yahoo soda and gasped, before he ran up to Cecile and hugged her tightly. Helga shifted uncomfortably, and felt like a complete moron. _'Of course! DOI! He has never seen me with my hair down like this. He doesn't know it's me, and neither does Gerald! Just my freaking luck! Helga, you're an idiot. Note to self, never let Phoebe toy with my looks ever again.'_

"Cecile! I can't believe it! It's really you! You're actually here! I never thought I'd see you again! I missed you so much!" Arnold let her go, but only to get a better look of her. Arnold was beyond thrilled. Hopefully she still wanted to be his special someone, and hopefully she wasn't going anywhere this time.

Now it was everyone else's turn to be confused… Phoebe was extremely confused "Uh, Who is Cecile?"

"Arnold's French pen pal from fourth grade. They went on a date in fourth grade and Arnold has always had a thing for her. Remember? She was all he could talk about that entire next month of school." Gerald was cool and collected, happy that his best friend had finally found the girl he spent so much time chasing after only to come out empty handed. But now Cecile was here, and Gerald was happy for Arnold.

"Nooo… That's Helga." Rhonda pointed out.

"No, her name is Cecile. My French pen pal." Arnold clarified.

"No, That's Helga." Harold tried to convince him.

"Her name is Cecile, you guys!"

"No, it's Helga. Look at her, Arnold. That's HELGA. As in Helga Pataki."

Helga could only sit in shear fear as the debate went on about her true identity. She didn't say a word.

This went on for a few more minutes, only escalating further between the kids until finally Phoebe was fed up with it!

"SHUT UP!" the field silenced. "That's Better. Now Gerald, Arnold. You truly believe that this is Cecile, Arnolds former Pen Pal from France?"

"We KNOW she is his old pen pal." Gerald stated for the both of them, since Arnold was giving Helga/Cecile _'The Look'_ again, and gently holding her hand mesmerized by her gorgeous face. Helga was frozen in terror.

"Boys, I hate to break this to you, but that is Helga. I gave her a make over last night. That isn't Cecile. I have before and after pictures to prove it. See…" Phoebe held out her phone, letting Gerald see the transition Helga had made last night… Gerald was beyond flabbergasted… That was Helga, Arnold was gawking at like a love-stricken fool. Gerald suddenly tackled Arnold to the floor in an attempt to get him away from the crazy neighborhood bully.

"Gerald, what are you doing?" Arnold and Gerald began to struggle.

"Saving you buddy! That's not Cecile! It's Helga!" Gerald managed to pin Arnold down.

"No its not, Gerald! It's Cecile!" Arnold tried desperately to get up.

"No, Arnold, It's Not! Look!" Phoebe showed Arnold the transformation photos as Gerald held him down. Arnold finally quit resisting and looked at the photos, only to come to the realization that it wasn't Cecile… it was Helga… Gerald let him up, but Arnold was now extremely angry.

"How dare you! Are you really that crazy? Tricking me into thinking you were my beloved French pen pal, Cecile! That's just cruel, Helga!" Of all the low things Helga had done to him, this had to be top 10.

"Arnold" Phoebe defended "That was never her intention! We did this for Helga, Not as a prank. Helga didn't feel good about herself, and I thought a makeover would help her feel better! I didn't know it would make her appear as your French pen pal."

Arnold began storming off the field, his dislike for Helga growing through the roof. Everybody stood awestruck at what just happened, and Helga looked down to her feel sad, and uncomfortable.

Gerald didn't follow, thinking his best friend needed some alone time to quell his heartbreak.

Everybody else stood there confused, and nobody with answers. The group decided the best thing to do was to start their game.

"Helga, where are you going?" Phoebe asked quietly

"I need to go take care of something." Phoebe began to follow Helga "Alone, Phoebe." Helga clarified.

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah, this is something I have to do, alone." Helga assured her friend "I'll be back later."

"Okay Helga, good luck!" Phoebe hugged her best friend, before sharing goodbyes as Helga walked to the Shortman Boarderhouse.


	3. Call Outs

_*Knock, Knock, Knock*_

"Hello?" Phil greeted the girl at the door.

"Hi… Uh, is Arnold home?" Helga shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"You're Arnold's little friend with the one eyebrow! Yes! Shortman is upstairs, but he seems upset. Maybe you can go cheer him up!" Phil let Helga in the house and led her up the stairs into Arnold's room. "Good luck with him." Phil nudged Helga, before leaving downstairs.

Helga took a deep breath and entered Arnold's bedroom. She noticed Arnold laying down on his bed with his face in the pillow. He looked defeated, and angry. Helga hated herself. _'Why do I always have to screw things up? They weren't intentional… So why is it always me screwing it up?'_

"What do you want grandpa?" Arnold lifted his head, but only enough so he could speak clearly, and he didn't open his eyes.

"Uh… It's Helga… Cecile… Whatever you want to call me."

"Go Away."

"No. I didn't come all this way just to be told to go away."

"It wasn't a request."

"I don't care if it was a law on the declaration of independence. Talk to me football head."

"No. Just go away. You've caused enough damage."

Helga took a deep breath and spoke sincerely "Arnold… look, I'm sorry I always torment you. I don't know why, it's just how I am. I don't mean to do it, honestly-" Arnold lifted his head and faced her to argue but Helga cut him off "-and before you go yelling at me, No. This wasn't intentional. This was Phoebe's work." Helga motioned to her new look. "I forgot I did this as Cecile, and I honestly hoped you forgotten all about it." Suddenly Helga slapped her mouth closed… _'Good going bone-head! Now he knows you faked being Cecile! Criminey Helga! Can't you do anything right?!' _

Arnold sat up, with his mouth open staring at Helga… _'So she was Cecile… but… that meant… Cecile wasn't real… She was Helga…'_

"You're…" Arnold couldn't even finish his sentence… and suddenly his whole world felt upside down…_ 'but this didn't make any sense… Why would Helga dress up as Cecile in 4th grade?'_ Now Arnold was extremely confused….

Arnold and Helga both took a moment to register and analyze their thoughts. Finally Arnold spoke.

"Why?"

"Why What?"

"Why… Everything Helga! Why? Why are you so mean to me? Why did you pretend to be Cecile? Why…?"

"… Arnold… I can't…"

"YES YOU CAN, Helga! You know why you do all these things! Why to me!? What have I ever done to you, Helga? I've always been kind and tolerant of your behavior towards me until yesterday, and today you literally went all out just to show it! Why!?" Arnold was fuming, and it was hard to tell if he was mad or hurt…

"I just can't Arnold! Okay?! I can't!" Helga folded her arms against her chest and looked down…

"Helga, I know you're not this mean and horrible like everybody thinks you are! Tell me the truth!"

Helga continued to look down, nearly to the point of tears.

"Helga, either you tell me the truth, or you get out of my house and leave me alone for good. Your choice." Part of him hoped she would leave, but most of him truly wanted her to stay and tell him the truth, so maybe they could even become friends someday and leave this all behind them…

"Okay! So I'm not this mean, nasty, horrible person people think I am… You've seen past it all this time… I just…never wanted people to know…"

"Know what Helga?"

"Know that… that…"

"C'mon Helga, you can tell me…"

"I never wanted them knowing my secret…"

"Your secret? What Secret?" Arnold was curious now.

"My secret… I've kept it since I was 3 years old… The first time people almost found out…they started laughing…"

"Who? And when did they find out?"

"Harold, Sid, Rhonda… Some other kids… When we were in preschool…the day we met…"

"Well… what did they almost find out, and why would they laugh?"

"My secret, and because they thought it was funny… and I was just so tired of being laughed at, and put down… So I snapped, and this is me now… or at least what people see. I'm never truly like that… Ask Phoebe… I'm not as horrible as people think…" Helga kept her head down, but her voice was audible.

"So you're mean… to hide your secret? " Arnold scooted beside Helga, intrigued that she was finally opening up to him.

"Exactly…"

"But Helga, what is your secret that you're so desperately trying to protect?"

"You wont believe me if I told you…"

"Try me."

"I can't Arnold… I just can't."

"Yes, you can, Helga."

"No I can't Arnold… You'll just laugh at me, and hate me."

"Helga, I've never laughed at you, and I could never hate you."

"You did the other day…" Helga said sadly.

"No I didn't Helga… I'm just tired of you treating me so badly… It's gone on since we were kids… and I just want to know why… and I have a strong feeling that it's because of your secret… It makes you mean to everyone… So if you told me, and we fixed it, it might fix things between us…"

"…"Helga sat silently debating on finally telling Arnold the truth.

"Helga, deep down, I have always wanted to be your friend. You're smart, funny, and interesting. But I can't be friends with someone who always acts like they hate me." Arnold stared at Helga, hoping that he finally broke through her walls.

Helga sighed deeply before speaking "…I…lke…ou…." Helga held her head down and covered her face

"What Helga?"

"I…lke…ou…"

"You're mumbling and I can't understand you." Arnold scooted closer to Helga, until he was right beside her…

Helga looked at Arnold honestly, and he finally saw Helga's perfect blue eyes. They captured him in a trance until Helga spoke to him. "Arnold, what I'm about to tell you is not a joke, a prank or some idiotic thing… It's not the slightest bit laughable, and if you laugh at me, I swear I will walk out of here…"

"Okay Helga, I Promise. Now Tell Me."

Helga took a calming deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Arnold to convey to him that she was not joking… "I Like You… Like You… as in… I always have… since we were three… like… since our first day at urban tots preschool… "Helga's head was down and if Arnold could see her face, he would know that there was a deep blush growing, and small tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Arnold's eyes almost grew out of his sockets… "Did you just say…?"

"…yes…"

"…and you have always..."

"…yes…"

"…but you bully me because…"

"…yes…"

"…and you didn't want anybody finding…?"

"…yes…"

"…and you were Cecile because…"

"…yes…"

There was full silence. Helga felt as though Arnold was going to kick her out laughing at her feelings… Arnold didn't know how to handle what she felt towards him…

Finally Arnold Spoke "But Helga, why didn't you just tell me…?"

"Weren't you listening?" She wasn't hostile when she spoke "They laughed at me, and I was tired of being pushed around… I don't want anybody knowing what I'm truly like, or how I truly feel because they'll laugh at me." Arnold noticed the crack in Helga's voice as she spoke, and knelt down in front of her. Arnold lifted her chin up and saw the silent tears falling from Helga's eyes, those perfect baby blue eyes that automatically captured Arnold in a trance… and Arnold finally saw how beautiful the real Helga was.

Helga sat staring into Arnold's jungle, jelly bean eyes. Arnold finally noticed all the hurt behind Helga's eyes… It was hard not to… Once you got past her looks, it was hard to NOT see Helga for who she truly was, and finally, the cryptic young Pataki wasn't so mysterious after all.

"Helga… You really like me?" Arnold wanted to be sure this was no joke. Helga looked at him with her tear stained eyes, and Arnold knew Helga wouldn't be crying like this if she was joking. "Okay Helga… I believe you… But… If I may ask… Why do you like me?"

"The same reasons everyone else does…"

"But I thought you hated all that stuff about me?"

"No Arnold… I actually like all that stuff about you… I just made fun of you for it because I never wanted people to see how much I like you… I'm not a mean person… I… I just don't know how to express emotion…"

"What? Everybody knows how to express emotions, Helga."

"Not me."

"Of course you do-"

"Not when you have a family like mine…"

"You're family loves you Helga. They show you they care all the time."

"No Arnold… They don't. My dad is a big blowhard who only cares about Beeper Sales and His Image. My mother is obsessed with smoothies, which I'm not supposed to tell anybody, but there's a lot of alcohol in them. And Olga is a star child. Everybody loves her, and because she gets all the attention, she unknowingly hogs it all. My parents rarely ever notice me, and if I do something great, Bob wants to exploit me for it. The Spelling Bee, Saving The Neighborhood… It's all business to him… That's not love, That's control… You're the only person I know who doesn't manipulate others for your own selfish needs and desires… and I admire you for that… but that day in the rain when we were three… you were the first person to show me genuine true kindness… and I've always had a crush on you… Since the day we met…"

Arnold thought over Helga's words, and the more he thought about it, the more he began to like this side of her. "But why dress up as Cecile?"

"…because I'm pathetic and wanted a date with you so badly… I wanted to see what you truly thought of me, and I thought I would be safe since I would be disguised as someone else… It worked too because you told me I bugged you, a lot… but you ended up falling for me… well not me, but Cecile me…"

"Okay… So… " Arnold didn't know where to carry on. This was honestly too much to think about.

"So, you hate me now right?" Helga concluded

"No Helga. I don't hate you… I'm just trying to figure out everything, especially how you hid it so well."

"Well football head, it wasn't really too hard. Just switch mean and nice. Whatever I wanted to do, I just did the opposite."

"So, you really do like me…?"

"Yep. And as expected, you don't like me back." Outside Helga was calm and collected, but inside Helga's heart was breaking slowly, and all that was left were his words to confirm it.

"Well Helga, that's not true. I know I don't feel as strongly for you as you do me right now, but I just found out, and we're only 13… You're years ahead of me with feelings, and I don't know how much I could like-like you."

"So how do you feel about me…?"

"Honestly, I know I DON'T hate you, but I don't love you either…" Arnold said "BUT, I do want to get to know you better… I really like this side of you Helga, and honestly, I don't think it would take much for me to like the real you, but I've never seen the real you before… I can't promise a relationship or anything like that… but I would like to be close friends with you… If that's okay with you…"

"So… you actually want to be my friend?"

"Of course Helga. I've always wanted to, but you just never let me see the real you."

"Well, that's the thing. I am bossy and clumsy. Im loud and shy… Honestly Arnold… I don't think you could ever feel the same way about me… We can be friends, but I know we wont evolve past that… The real me isn't as likable either…"

"Well Helga, I like the side of you that you're showing me…and I think I could like you, but I want it to be the REAL you… I'm tired of girls pretending to be someone else around me just to date me… and knowing that you have an entirely different personality than what you show people, makes me want to know everything about you."

"…really?"

"Yes, really." Arnold assured her.

"Okay… we'll what do you want to know?"

"Hm… Well… Why do you always call me Football Head?"

"Honestly, I don't know… It wasn't supposed to be an insult when I said it, but I was 3 when I called you that… Honestly I thought of it more as a pet name."

"So it wasn't intentionally mean?"

"Nope. I never meant for it to be."

"I'm not sure if I'm flattered or insulted."

"Well you spent the last 10 years being insulted by it."

"haha true. But now that I know, I kinda like it. Especially since you came up with it and nobody else calls me that. Every girl calls me 'Baby' or something ridiculous like that… I kinda like yours much better."

"Doi football head. It's not genuine if it isn't from me."

"Whatever you say Helga."

"Anything else you'd like to know?"

And with that, Arnold and Helga talked into the rest of the evening. Helga stayed for Dinner, and so began the official start of their summer before 8th grade.


End file.
